Suicide Watch
by pens and dragons
Summary: Korra saves the life of her pro-bending rival, the ex-bender Tahno. And maybe, he saves her too. *romance, possible smut later on*
1. Chapter 1

**My LOK finale feels inspired this. Also, Tahno's hairbending. Please enjoy and review :)  
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It was a cold night in Republic City, and the streets were mostly devoid of citizens. It was uncommon to see benders out past dark these days; a mounting fear of Amon and his chi-blockers ensured a sense of unease among those with power over the elements. On the wide promenade near the bay, however, the slender figure of a teenage girl could be seen strolling aimlessly through the shadows.

Korra was breaking every rule in Tenzin's book with her late-night strolls, but she couldn't have cared less. She had quickly adopted Air Temple Island as her home, but sometimes she felt trapped, confined. She was reminded of her days in the Southern Water Tribe compound, walled in by icy cliffs and the flat expanse of water.

Korra wouldn't have noticed the lone figure on the bridge unless she had happened to glance up just as she was passing a streetlight and seen a man silhouetted against the halo of light from the bridge's lamps. He didn't look like he was there to enjoy the view of the bay-rather, he was balanced precariously on the very edge of the bridge that linked two docks together. There were no cheering friends below, so this was definitely no dare or attention-grabbing stunt. Korra swiftly jogged across the stretch of pavement that separated the two.

"Hey!" She shouted when she was a good distance away, attempting to attract the figure's attention. It was clearly a man, with shaggy, lank dark hair.

"What are you doing up there? You could fall and drown!" Korra called over the railing.

"Maybe that's the point, uh-vatar."

The figure half-turned, exposing a shock of disheveled hair and pallid features. A pair of grey eyes, cold and flat as metal disks, met Korra's. She gasped, feeling as though the breath had been snatched from her lungs. What was her pro-bending enemy doing teetering on the edge of a bridge at midnight on a Tuesday?

"Tahno? What are you doing?" Korra's voice quaked a little as she edged closer to where Tahno was balanced. A great sadness, an unbearable pain, came into his eyes.

"Without my bending, I'm nothing. I'm worthless."

His voice broke on the last syllable and he fell silent. Korra reached out and grabbed the back of his jacket, the material sliding between her fingers.

"Tahno, you're not seriously going to jump off a bridge because Amon took your bending away. I know you, you're going to rise up and fight back and come back stronger and-" Korra's desperate rant was cut off by her former rival raising two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute.

"I wish you luck, uh-vatar." Something in his eyes softened for a split second. "It was nice knowing you."

And then Korra's fingers were grasping air.

"NO!" She shouted, watching as Tahno's figure plummeted towards the water, perhaps fifty feet below. Without a second's hesitation, she launched herself from the bridge and plunged into the freezing bay. Murky water clouded her vision, but her fingers made contact with something solid-Tahno, drifting in the briny deep. She wrapped an arm around his limp figure and propelled them towards the surface. Korra dragged Tahno through the black waves, well aware of the fact that he didn't seem to be breathing at all. By the time they reached a stretch of pavement beside the bulk of a cargo carrier, he had gone cold and still in her arms.

"You will _not _die on me, Tahno," Korra muttered, her heart pounding in her chest. Raising her hand to his chest, she waterbended what seemed like liters of briny water from the innards of her former rival. Tahno remained cold and lifeless, a halo of dampness around his pale face. Korra pressed her lips to his, trying to breathe life back into him. He felt so very cold.

Suddenly, Tahno gave a racking cough and his body jerked, attempting to expel what little water remained in his lungs. Then he flopped back onto the pavement, his eyes fixed on the distant heavens.

"Tahno, what were you _thinking_?"

He stirred feebly, and Korra brushed a hand against his pale face.

"You don't understand," Tahno mumbled, struggling to sit up. "You're the Avatar. You can bend four elements. I can't even bend _one _anymore."

Korra thought of her failed attempts at airbending, of Tenzin's disappointment and her frustration as she was unable to become a _true _Avatar.

"Tahno, there's a lot you don't know about me."

He stared at her for a long moment, grey eyes flat and dull as coins.

"Just leave me alone, _uh-vatar_. I _want _to die."

Korra looped an arm around Tahno's thin shoulders.

"Not on my watch, pretty boy."

**More to come from me so keep watching! Love to all of you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to my sister, Shiks and Amon for reviewing. Especially Amon. **

"Where am I?" Tahno cracked one eye open, his gaze swimming. A white ceiling, cross-hatched with shadows, could be anywhere. He sat up and realized that he was sprawled on a sleeping pallet in a barren room. It looked like someone's bedchambers, though it was pretty sparse for a personal residence. It wouldn't be the first time that the former pro-bender had passed out drunk and awoken in a strange house. He hoped that this wasn't the residence of one of his rabid fans. Of course, he didn't have many _fans _anymore. No one wanted the bragging rights associated with nailing the city's top pro-bender.

The previous night's events flooded back in a bitter wave, and Tahno flopped backward, burying his face in the thin pillow. He vividly remembered standing on the edge of a bridge, staring down at the water that he had once controlled, wanting nothing more than to die. And Korra, the damned Avatar, gripping his jacket and trying to talk him down.

"Tahno?"

He jerked upright at the sound of Korra's voice, as he realized that this must be her bedroom. He held back a sneer. How _kind _of her. The Avatar hovered above him, then took a seat on the edge of the pallet.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, and there was such concern in her voice that Tahno's face burned in shame.

"Like I fell off a bridge," he joked, but it came out sounding humorless and flat. Korra narrowed her eyes.

"It isn't funny, Tahno. You could have _died _last night."

He stared at her for a moment, then decided that this conversation was going in a decidedly _mushy _direction. Besides, he was deeply ashamed of his irrational actions, and he didn't want her to keep reminding him.

"Well, it was nice of you to let me sleep in your bedroom, uh-vatar. Although I doubt that your _handler _would approve…"

Korra glared at him, and he felt comfortable in their old rivalry.

"Tenzin's not my _handler_, pretty boy. And _you _were passed out snoring all night, which isn't very arousing for anyone."

"You watched me sleep?" Tahno squawked. Korra smirked, but something had softened within her gaze.

"You're cute when you sleep," she replied lightly. "Your face isn't so...scrunchy."

She fished around in her pocket as Tahno dwelled on this statement, producing a roll of bread and a star fruit.

"Here, I smuggled you some food."

Tahno accepted the meager rations uncertainly.

"I'll just eat when I get home," he informed her. Korra stood and brushed off her skirt.

"You're not going home, pretty boy. Not until I know that you're not going to be throwing yourself off bridges anymore."

Tahno stared at her in disbelief.

"You can't keep me here!"

A devious smirk slid onto the Avatar's lips.

"Watch me."

**I'm sorry for the short chapter. Please review anyway. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the positive feedback, guys. It really makes my day! You guys ROCK like earthbenders. **

When Korra returned later in the evening, she was surprised to find Tahno sprawled on her bed, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression in his grey eyes.

"I thought you'd never come back," he drawled, shifting his gaze to meet hers. Korra took a seat on the edge of the hard mattress and pressed her palms against the thin blanket.

"Miss me, pretty boy?"

Tahno sat up, sliding his legs off the bed to mirror Korra's position.

"Let me go, Avatar. You have no right to hold me here."

Korra side-eyed him, folding her arms skeptically.

"Tahno, you tried to throw yourself into Yue Bay last night, in case you've forgotten."

The former Wolfbat glared at her, something in his eyes changing. They quickly shifted from a grey, placid sky to a storm-tossed sea.

"Last night was a mistake," he retorted smoothly. "You have no idea how much I regret my actions. I wasn't thinking clearly."

Korra sighed. She knew that Tahno was right-she couldn't hold him here forever. Why did she want to, anyway? He had been nothing but cruel and arrogant since they had met in Narook's noodle shop. Their first encounter seemed like decades ago, though, and the broken boy seated beside her on the bed was nothing like his smooth-talking pro-bending counterpart.

"Fine. I'll take you back to Republic City…on the condition that you _never _try something as stupid as that again."

Tahno looked rumpled and depressed, still in his clothing from the night before, but he nodded and rose to follow the Avatar out into the chilly night.

Korra was surprised to see that Tahno lived in a modest apartment near the center of the city. She had expected something more…extravagant. Maybe a penthouse or mansion, but certainly not a three-room flat above a dingy noodle joint. Tahno's keys were currently somewhere near the bottom of the bay, so he jimmied a window and they climbed in that way. As Korra's eyes adjusted to the light in the dimly lit space, she noted that it was decorated in subtle, earthy tones. Brown, green, blue.

"You're from the swamplands, aren't you?" She asked, recalling a comment that Mako had made about Tahno 'going back to the swamp that he crawled out of'. The Wolfbat glanced over in surprise, then nodded.

"That's where I grew up, yes…but that was a long time ago."

_It can't have been _that _long ago, _Korra thought. Tahno was still a kid, for spirit's sake.

"Tell me about it," she prompted, but Tahno didn't respond. He was staring at a portrait on the mantle with a distant look in his eye, and Korra saw that it was a photograph of a family: a mother, a father, a horde of small children, all standing in front of a tumbledown shack surrounded by tall trees that dripped moss.

"Is that your family?" Korra inquired. Tahno, who obviously had forgotten about his visitor, jumped a little, then turned the photograph upside down with surprising force.

"That's none of your business, uh-vatar," he snapped. Korra shrugged, trying not to act taken aback. What was up with Tahno, anyway? One minute he was acting humbled and grateful, the next he was back to slicing away with razor-like speech.

"So this is it, huh? The home of Republic City's pro-bending sweetheart?" Korra stood in the middle of Tahno's living room and twirled around. Tahno sank onto the sofa and stared at the rug.

"Not anymore," he sighed. "No one wants to be seen with me now that I'm a disgrace to pro-bending."

Korra froze.

"Right," she said slowly. "Sorry, I kind of forgot…"

Tahno's eyes were locked on the glimmer of the moon on Yue Bay, his face cold and hard as a statue.

"No one wants me anymore, Avatar. _I _don't even want myself."

Korra thought that she had never seen anyone look quite so wounded, so broken. It was as if something inside Tahno had shattered when Amon took his bending, and now the jagged pieces were starting to slice away at him from the inside out. She took a seat beside him, taking his hand. His grip felt cool and dry, almost brittle.

"You're wrong, Tahno. _I _want you."

There was a long moment of silence, and then Tahno's lips twisted into a smirk.

"Took you long enough to admit it, _uh-vatar_."

Korra blushed furiously, heat creeping up her cheeks, and she turned to stare into the darkness.

"I didn't mean it like that…" she trailed off, glancing over at the man who used to turn her insides bitter with hatred. Back when she was more worried about the pro-bending finals than a faceoff with Amon. Back when she didn't spend every waking moment trying to fight a man whose face she had never even seen. Tahno _was _handsome, she thought, despite the obvious depression he had fallen into. But without his hair products and kohl-lined eyes, he looked vulnerable. And Korra liked that.

"You wouldn't understand, _uh-vatar_. You have the Airbenders, the Fire Ferrets, the Sato girl…for whatever unfathomable reason, they're _loyal _to you." Tahno paused, and Korra was certain that his eyes glimmered with unshed tears. "I have _no one_."

Something about the way that the moonlight fell across his face, the way that his grey eyes were shuttered against the world, made Korra's heart break a little. She leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on his lips.

"That's not true, pretty boy. You have me."

**~barfs rainbow~ I'm sorry, guys, but I couldn't stop writing vulnerable!Tahno tonight. That and all the Tahnorra love that's flooding my tumblr dash is inspiring a boatload of feels. Hope this little tidbit can get y'all through a Saturday with no new episode. Hang in there, babes. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I spent the last hour at a sport's bar with my sensei listening to jokes that were not even funny. That's my only excuse for this crappy chappy. :3**

Tahno could have been knocked over with a feather when he felt Korra's lips land on his. Never in his wildest dreams-okay, maybe then-had he imagined that one day the Avatar herself would be practically sitting on his lap. The kiss started out innocent, chaste, but quickly escalated into Korra straddling Tahno with her fingers in his hair. It wasn't his first time around the racetrack, but he got the distinct impression that Korra hadn't been with many men before.

_Only _boys_, _Tahno gloated, _like that firebender. _

He felt something akin to guilt as he allowed his hands to wander across her body-her back, her shoulders, but steering clear on any 'red zones' that might get him elbowed in the ribs. He wondered if she was only doing this out of pity for him, and the thought made him sick. It felt somehow very _right _to have her body pressed against his, as though they were two pieces of the same puzzle. His fingers pushed underneath the hem of her shirt, but Korra sat back, her blue eyes suddenly wide.

"Tahno, I can't."

She sounded breathless, almost afraid. Korra brought her hands down to rest on Tahno's.

"Why, uh-vatar? Afraid of showing a little skin?"

The snide comment tumbled from his mouth before he could stop himself. Korra's eyes narrowed, and she pushed him away, retreating to the far end of the sofa.

"I'm still not sure if that was a mistake, kissing you like that," she huffed, "If you don't respect me, I'll leave right now."

Tahno slumped, feeling remorseful. He wasn't used to these emotions, especially not concerning girls. With the captain of the Wolfbats, it was usually 'wham, bam, thank you Ma'am'. With Korra, he knew, it would have to be something else. She was wild, almost untouchable. Every time he got closer to her, she slid away again. Like water.

_I might not be a bender anymore, _Tahno thought_, but hell if I can't get the girl at the end of the day._

"I'm sorry, Korra. I don't know what came over me."

It was the first time in a long time that Tahno had actually meant an apology. The usual weight of a lie wasn't there, sinking on his chest and tongue. And if felt nice. It felt even nicer when Korra returned to flop down beside him on the couch, her head on his shoulder.

"We'll work on that, Tahno," she told him.

"Work on what?"

Korra sniggered.

"Your piss poor attitude, pretty-boy."

**That wasn't even a chapter. I'm sorry, guys. I feel like this fic isn't really going in the direction that I planned, so let me know if you want me to continue. **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to thank all of you for reviewing. I choked when I read Tahno's review, by the way. I love all of you! **

Korra knew that of all the young men in Republic City to be falling for, it shouldn't be Tahno. He was arrogant, he was cruel, he was a liar and a cheater and a bully. At least, that was the Tahno that everyone _else _seemed to know. Korra considered herself somewhat lucky to have glimpsed the shattered ex-bender beneath the glossy cover, and she liked what she saw.

Although it had been several days since she had kissed the Wolfbat's former captain, Korra found herself re-playing the moment in her head almost constantly. There was something that felt very _right _about the way their lips met, the way she felt when she was pressed against Tahno. It was friction of the best kind.

_I have to see him again, _Korra told herself. She was supposed to be meditating with Tenzin and the kids, but her thoughts were far across the bay. She wondered what Tahno was doing at the moment. Probably sulking over his lost waterbending skills, she thought.

"Korra!" Tenzin narrowed his eyes at his young charge. "Are you paying attention to your breathing?"

The Avatar started a little and gave what she hoped was a convincing exhale.

"Yup. Definitely."

She could tell that the Airbender didn't believe her, and she didn't blame him.

_What's wrong with me? _Korra wondered. She didn't like Tahno, she liked Mako. Right? Wasn't that the reason that she got butterflies whenever the firebender hugged her? Why she felt a surge of jealousy whenever he and Asami kissed in public?

But Korra knew that she was lying to herself. As much as she despised her growing feelings for Tahno, she had to acknowledge them.

_Fine. So maybe I like Tahno _a little_. Just a little. No harm in a little crush, right? _

"Korra…" Tenzin's voice carried a warning edge to it, and Korra glanced around to realize that the Airkids were balanced in different yoga poses around the gazebo. "Were you even listening?"

Korra flashed him her famous Avatar-smile.

"I was listening to my breathing."

Korra found herself returning to Tahno's apartment later in the week, despite Tenzin's numerous warnings that she shouldn't wander the streets after dark. He looked surprised to see her, but the ex-bender ushered her inside anyway.

"Back again, uh-vatar?"

Korra perched on the edge of the kitchen counter, breathing in the familiar aroma of spices and coffee.

"I just need to get away," she confessed quietly. Tahno chuckled, slouching against the stove.

"Is your airbending master _that _strict?"

Korra thought of Tenzin's firm rules and stringently enforced curfew and shook her head.

"It's not that…it's just _Amon._ And this whole fight against the Equalists."

Tahno's face darkened at the mention of the revolutionary's name.

"He's a monster, Korra. What he did to me…it was _horrible_. I…I still have nightmares about it," Tahno admitted. His eyes were glued to the floor. "It hurt, you know. When he took my bending. I could _feel _it leaving my body."

Tahno slumped against Korra, his head on her chest, her arms around his shoulders. There was nothing sexual about the embrace, it was purely innocent.

"I'm sorry, Tahno," Korra whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

**Well, I hope that y'all liked this little update. It's kinda short, but hopefully sweet. **


	6. Chapter 6

"You're so good to me, Korra," Tahno muttered. "I don't deserve it."

Korra stroked his hair gently, gently scratching her fingers back and forth across his neck. She liked how he shuddered at the contact.

"Yes, you do. I admit, you were a first class jerk-bender when we first met. But you've changed a lot. Now you're almost tolerable."

Tahno slumped against her, looking depressed.

"I know I was a jerk. And I know that I've been better lately. I just wish that it hadn't come at such a price."

Korra sighed and held him at arm's length, studying his face. She remembered how broken he had seemed, that night on the bridge, and in the days following. And she realized that he was _still _broken, he was nothing without his bending no matter how much anyone attempted to convince him otherwise. She understood what it was like, to feel the water under your control, to feel how it flowed through everything. To manipulate that water, to feel it in your veins. And she couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have that taken away.

"I wish there was a way to give your bending back, Tahno."

He just shook his head.

"It's gone, Korra. I can feel it. It's never coming back."

She didn't know what to say, couldn't imagine what it must be like to have your bending _gone_. Taken. Ripped from you. So she held Tahno a little tighter, gently stroking his hair.

When she glanced at the clock, it was nearly ten. Tenzin would be furious if she returned to Air Temple Island now. She slid off the counter, wanting to head for the door, but Tahno stopped her.

"Please…will you sleep with me tonight?"

She froze. Kissing Tahno was one thing…_sleeping _with him was another. Was he always so forwards?

"Umm…"

He pulled her closer, holding her flush against him.

"I didn't mean like that."

Korra stayed with him that night, the first she'd ever spent with a boy. He didn't attempt to instigate anything, simply held her in his arms while the moon shifted across the walls. In the morning, Korra slipped away from Tahno's arms and stood beside his bed.

"I'm sorry, Tahno," she whispered, pressing a light kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry."

She left without saying goodbye.

In the days following Amon's death and the collapse of the Equalist regime, Korra found herself wandering near Tahno's apartment. She had been busy returning bending to Republic City's most notable council members and law enforcement officials, those who needed it most. But she hadn't forgotten about her old pro-bending rival.

Korra headed for Tahno's apartment with a light heart. She could only imagine how overjoyed he would be when she gave him back his bending. Waterbending had been everything to the man…and now he could return to his old self (although Korra was sure that she would miss the sweet, sensitive Tahno she had gotten to know recently).

But when she knocked on the door, it was locked. No one was home. One of Tahno's neighbors was coming out of his apartment, carrying a bowl of noodles.

"Do you know where Tahno went?" She asked. His eyes shifted from her to the door and his frowned.

"You didn't hear? He jumped off a bridge a few weeks ago…they found his body in the bay a couple days later. If you ask me, he was never the same after he lost his bending. Poor kid."

And the man walked away, shaking his head. Korra sank to the floor, her mouth hanging open. She felt as though her heart was slowly withering, the breath being sucked from her lungs. Tears filled her eyes, and she allowed them to fall without shame.

"Oh, Tahno," she whispered. From the grimy window at the end of the hall, she could see the blue sparkle of the bay. There was a kind of poetry about his death: from water he had come, and to the water he had returned.

_**That actually broke my heart to write. D: Poor Tahno! Tell me what you think! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**I never expected the outpouring of support for this story. Thanks so much for the reviews/feedback! **

_Korra moved silently between the slender poplar trees. Mist shrouded most of the ancient forest, and thick moss muffled her footsteps. The spirit world was vastly different from the bustle of Republic City, or even the icy South Pole. _

"_Korra?" The voice was eerily familiar, and the Avatar wheeled around, searching for the source. He stood a few yards behind her, half-cloaked in the swirling mist. _

"_Tahno!" She shouted, launching herself forward. Korra threw her arms around him, her fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket. Tears came, unbidden, to her eyes. _

"_Oh spirits," she mumbled. "You're dead, you're really dead. Why did you do it, Tahno?"_

_He pressed his cheek against her hair, his hands skating across her back._

"_I couldn't do it anymore, Korra. Without my bending, I was nothing."_

_Anger swelled in her chest, and she grabbed the front of his jacket, shaking him._

"_You idiot! You were so much more than your bending! It was a part of you, but only a part. You threw so much away, Tahno. You left me alone, you didn't even leave a damn note!"  
She was sobbing by then, choking on tears, her eyes burning with anger and pain. Tahno stared at her for a moment, his grey eyes impossibly sad._

"_I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Korra. I never meant to hurt you."_

_She snarled._

"_You did. I trusted you…I-I loved you!"_

_She froze, realizing what she'd just blurted. Her eyes widened. Tahno didn't pull away as she expected him to. Instead, he leaned closer._

"_I loved you too, Korra." His thumb brushed the curve of her cheek. "But nothing could have made me want to keep living. Not even you."_

_She leaned against him and sighed, their bodies pressed tightly together._

"_I know, Tahno. I just wished you could have held on a little longer." Her eyes, cerulean, sparkling with tears, met his. "I never got a chance to say goodbye."_

_Tahno sighed. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then apparently changed his mind and leaned in to kiss her. Korra jerked back at first, then leaned into his kiss. Her arms snaked around his neck, and she couldn't help but think that they fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle. Her hands tangled in his hair, drawing him closer. He groaned against her mouth, and she found herself enjoying the idea that she could have elicited such noises from him. _

_Eventually they parted, both panting a little. Korra felt sated, as though Tahno were no longer a figment of her grief. But the spirit world was growing colder, and chills rained down Korra's arms. She rubbed the gooseflesh that had spread across her skin as the landscape turned bluer, more harsh. Korra was a visitor here, not entirely unwelcome, but she did not belong amongst the dead. _

"_I have to go," she murmured. Her fingers laced with his, briefly, and his skin was so cold. He gathered her in his arms, brushing their lips together for a moment. And then he was fading, everything was fading, and Korra was gone._

She jerked out of her reverie, returning abruptly from the spirit world. She was sitting by the sea, watching the cold waves crash against the snowy rocks. She wondered if Tahno had gotten his bending back in the spirit world.

_I'll ask him next time_, she thought, and despite the cold, Korra felt very warm.


End file.
